Saturday, February 23, 2013

I just listened to St. Louis Public Radio's Politically Speaking Podcast. They had some surprising comments. Around the 22:30 mark in the NPR audio at that link,
Chris McDaniel, Jo Mannies, and Jason Rosenbaum speculate that Republican Speaker
of the Missouri House, Tim Jones, may be moving toward compromise with
Liberal Gov. Jay Nixon on Medicaid expansion.

At last weekend's state-wide Lincoln Days, Jones was crystal clear on the Medicaid expansion. At 24:45 in the video below, he's asked about Gov. Nixon's effort to implement Medicaid expansion. Jones takes a hard line against it, which is exactly what the conservative grassroots expects.

"Thank you for contacting me regarding Medicaid expansion. I oppose the expansion of this entitlement. The Missouri electorate has consistently reminded its government officials that they will not accept tax increases, do not favor ObamaCare, nor have they supported those who have promoted either. None of the advocates of the expansion have addressed how to pay for the expansion once Missouri’s share kicks in – an amount that will cost you and I hundreds of millions of dollars.

Advocates of Medicaid expansion may find it easy to just say “It’s the right thing to do,” but I’m here to make responsible decisions. I’m here to be realistic and pragmatic. I will not support this short-sighted, bankrupt idea. The right thing to do is to support limited government, better tax policy, and growth strategies that will encourage entrepreneurship and economic development. The right thing to do is transform the Medicaid program to improve access, care delivery, and overall healthier outcomes. It’s not just the right thing, but also the smart thing to do.

Thank you for your continued support, and please reach out to me in the future on any concerns you may have."